Call it 'pessimistic planning,' but Lions loaded up on safety options after re-signing Maddox
Allen Park — In an ideal world, the Detroit Lions would be entering the 2026 season the same as the 2025 campaign: Confident they possessed the best safety tandem in the league.
However, despite Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch remaining employed by the franchise, there are short- and long-term questions about each of the young stars. As both battle serious injury concerns, general manager Brad Holmes is unwilling to bank on either returning to form next season. Instead, he’s tapped into his self-proclaimed “pessimistic planner” mentality in the second wave of free agency, signing a pair of experienced veterans in the past several days.
Last week, the Lions added Chuck Clark, the longtime Raven who spent last season with the Steelers and has more than 5,000 defensive snaps under his belt. Holmes followed that move by re-signing Avonte Maddox on Monday, the Detroit native who appeared in 14 games and started the final three, thriving with the opportunity.
Who can reasonably know what the future holds for Joseph and Branch? Joseph, a first-team All-Pro in 2024, missed most of last season with a mysterious knee injury that we’ve been told can’t be surgically repaired and could permanently plague the playmaker.
As for Branch, he’s working his way back from a December Achilles tear, one of the more devastating injuries for a football player, although Holmes relayed some optimism after recently watching tape of an unidentified player who showed no ill effects after recovering from the same injury.
Regardless, the GM has stocked the cabinets with a wealth of capable candidates to compete for the right to backstop the absence of one or both, however long they may need to be sidelined.
Clark is versatile and a ferocious tackler. Maddox, who could also be back in the mix for Detroit’s newly vacant nickel role, is more than competent playing deep. Harper, last year’s waiver claim, shares a similar skill set that allows him to work at free safety or in the slot. And Christian Izien, who was signed before Clark and Maddox, during the first wave of free agency, is a thickly built option with a chip on his shoulder after being squeezed out of his defensive role by a rookie in Tampa Bay last season.
The Lions didn’t have enough depth at safety in 2025. They eventually locked Maddox there after initially asking him to compete for the nickel job. Hell, they even tried outside cornerback Rock Ya-Sin at safety, despite no previous experience in the role. Ultimately, they were fortunate to snag Harper off waivers, even if they also initially worked him at nickel on the practice field before injuries dictated a role change.
Detroit was reasonably banking on Joseph and Branch, but the NFL is well known for upending best-laid plans.
Make no mistake about it: Maddox, Clark, Izien and Harper don’t offer the playmaking of Joseph or the top-end versatility of Branch. There aren’t many players like them across the league. Those who are at that level are making big money or heading toward that type of contract.
But the Lions have done the best they could with a limited budget. They’ve loaded up on a healthy mix of proven veterans and young, experienced options with upside. The offseason competition figures to be fierce, the cream that rises capable, at least until Joseph and Branch can retake the mantle or the Lions ultimately determine they need to go a different direction at the position.
I didn't even mention last year's seventh-round pick Dan Jackson in this piece. He crossed my mind, but it's setting up to be a reasonably steep uphill battle with the proven veteran options, most of who are reliable special teams options.
Is there a plan to play more nickel D?